AOW #26: Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc

Summary: This week millions have viewed the video on youtube.  It is about an issue that few know about, the invisible children in Africa and the organization of rebels who continue to take advantage of these children.  Joseph Kony, the man who leads the LSA, has been unknown to many for years, and know the created of the video and the Invisible Children's Organization in order to expose how he has kidnapped children in African and turned them into slaves to fight for him and continue violence in Africa.  The video proposes that we should spread awareness about Kony and the LSR so he can finally be arrested.
Context: The video was created for the Invisible Children's Incorporation, a group that supports children struggling in Africa.  The invisible children are natives under 20 living in Africa (specifically Uganda).  They have been born into a war between rebel groups and the government.  The rebel group led by Joseph Kony is the LSA.  The kidnapping of children for war is not a new issue, as many rebel groups have been doing this for years, capturing children from taken villages and turning the boys into soldiers and girls into sex slaves.  Violence between these groups has destroyed many villages and families since the late 1980's, and little has been done about it because few nations want to get involved in the violence.
Source: This video was posted onto Youtube, a website where anyone can post a personal video, making this video less reliable.  However the video was created by Invisible Children Inc., a group which has been trying to protect children in Africa since 2004.  It has many supporters and claims to donate most money to helping these children.  Lately, though, there have been accusations that the Kony 2012 campaign is a fraud that is to bring in more money for the company than to help the children in Africa.
Purpose: The purpose of this video is to spread awareness about an issue that has not been popular over the last couple of years.  It also proposes a solution to problem; to stop Joseph Kony and therefore end the enslavement of children in Africa.  I believe the creator of this video achieved this purpose, because the topic has become unavoidable whenever one gets onto the internet.
Rhetorical Devices: This video obviously appeals to emotion and logic, as this is a sad story about African children who are oppressed, and this issue should be stopped.  The video seems to be made for people who know little about the issue, which is why the narrator brings in his young son to explain the issue as simply as possible.  This compares the audience to a young child who knows little about this complex issue.  The video also answered a major "so what?" question of what the audience can do to stop this problem in Africa.  The video gives specific steps you can take in order for the issue to become more popular, and for leaders to act due to the public's demand.  This video is unlike others which point out oppressive situations, because it proposes a solution; to arrest Joseph Kony.